Flameaway remains in fighting stance for Ben Ali Stakes
LEXINGTON, Ky. – He’s only 4, and yet Flameaway somehow gives off a vibe that he’s one of those battle-scarred warriors with something like 74 starts on his past performances.
“He’s a fighter, I know that,” said trainer Mark Casse.
Flameaway, in off a gutsy victory last month at Tampa Bay Downs, will be looking to fend off all challengers again Saturday in the Grade 3, $200,000 Ben Ali at Keeneland. The 1 1/8-mile race drew 11 older horses, with Flameaway likely to come favored over the Bob Baffert-trained Solomini.
Owned by John Oxley, Flameaway will have Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard when he breaks from post 4 in the 89th Ben Ali. Ortiz’s brother Jose was aboard when the Ontario-bred son of Scat Daddy battled back to win the Challenger Stakes five weeks ago on the Tampa Bay Derby undercard. Jose is otherwise occupied Saturday at Oaklawn Park.
Flameaway “seems to have come back well,” said Casse. “I thought his effort in Tampa was terrific – and typical of some of his other races.”
Flameaway, an habitual front-runner, has run first or second in nine of his 15 starts. Among his high points are runner-up finishes in the Tampa Bay Derby and Jim Dandy last year as well as sharp performances in his two starts over the Keeneland main track, those being a nose victory in the off-the-turf Bourbon in the fall of 2017 and a second in the Blue Grass Stakes last spring.
“If he runs really well again Saturday, we could end up in the Alysheba” on May 3 at Churchill Downs, said Casse.
Solomini (post 6, Brian Hernandez Jr.), owned by Zayat Stables and the Coolmore partners, broke a losing streak dating to September 2017 by winning his last start, a March 3 allowance going a mile on the Santa Anita main track. While Baffert has yet to set up shop on the Churchill backside, the 4-year-old colt is stabled at Keeneland in the Brian Lynch barn.
One of the longer prices in the Ben Ali lineup will be Just Whistle (post 1, Tyler Gaffalione), who will scratch from a Friday allowance after drawing post 12 going a two-turn mile on the dirt. Just Whistle was a last-to-first winner of a Gulfstream Park allowance in his most recent.
“This is just as well,” said trainer Michael Matz. “There’s enough speed in there, and we’ve got a much better post.”
The rest of the field is Krewe Chief, Third Day, Hence, Noble Commander, Bonus Points, Bourbon Resolution, Nun the Less, and First Mondays.
The Ben Ali, first run in 1917 at the old Kentucky Association track, has been won by such standouts as Wistful (1951), Louis Quatorze (1997), Mineshaft (2003), and Wise Dan (2012). It leads off an all-stakes pick four as the seventh of 11 races.
